October 2 saw Siam Paragon bustling with more visitors than usual, as crowds of society faces gathered to celebrate the much-awaited reopening of Hermès’ Siam Paragon store. Home of the famous Birkin bag and those exquisite silk scarves we love, the reveal of this new store design is causing a pretty significant stir in the local fashion scene — after six months of extensive refurbishing, our beloved Hermès Siam Paragon store is finally back! — but that isn’t all there is to look forward to.
Along with the reopening of its Siam Paragon venue, the French high fashion house also launched a special ‘Rouges Hermès’ exhibition at Parc Paragon. Celebrating the house’s relationship with the colour red, the event is part of a cycle of Hermès Heritage touring exhibitions that aim to explore the brand’s rich history. From what awaits in the new store, to the exquisite wonders behind the exhibition, here’s everything you need to know about the latest happenings in Hermès.
Hermès Siam Paragon: A Closer Look Inside
Originally opened in 2006, the Hermès store at Siam Paragon rises with elegant gravitas at the mall’s main entrance. Designed by the Parisian architecture agency RDAI, the completely transformed retail space fuses tradition and modernity, in line with the Maison’s strong heritage.
Behind the glass, full-height sliding wooden claustra pay ode to traditional Thai houses, while the interiors play with perforated and opaque sections to offer both a sense of privacy, yet elusive mystery that tantilises you to venture further in. Entering the store is almost like stepping into an oasis of sorts, as the tranquil atmosphere offers a nice contrast against the surrounding hub-bub.
Expect to be greeted by dark caramel bamboo flooring, and signature Grecques lights — specially designed for Hermès and dating back to 1925. Thai crafts reign supreme in the interiors — from the use of Thai silk, to the fern vine crafted using 150-year old local basketry techniques. Light cherrywood decor balances the surrounding dark hues, while bespoke saffron yellow, tumeric orange and ruby plush carpets add a sense of cosiness.
Product-wise, expect everything from silk collections to fragrances, along with equestrian objects and home decor. Further into the store, beyond the mosaic flooring, visitors can discover the women’s and menswear lines, along with fine watches and jewellery.
Rouges Hermès: What’s the Hype?
Since it was founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermès, the Maison’s history has been one marked by colour and craftsmanship. Dating back to its roots as a harness-maker and saddler, Hermès has had a deep attachment to the colour red and its extensive spectrum of shades that fluctuate from brilliant vermilion to magenta, and from bright to soft. While today mention of the Maison might bring to mind images of the signature orange hue, Hermès has used red on a whole range of designs, ever since the team’s skilled artisan tanners managed to develop a process of dyeing box calf leather.
Rouges Hermès demonstrates this deep and profound relationship through a moving showcase that takes audiences from leather goods to clothing and home accessories. A joint effort between Bruno Gaudichon — curator of La Piscine museum of art and industry in France — and set designer Laurence Fontaine, the exhibition is divided into five zones loosely joined in chronological order, allowing audiences to come upon new variants of red as they make their way through the space.
Straightforward yet rather poetic, the exhibition features pieces borrowed from the Émile Hermès collection, along with items from the house’s archives, as well as a full range of recent designs.
Among the key highlights is a contemporary jewellery cabinet, which features a rouge H mahogany structure, behind which visitors can find an abundance of intricate details. The blend of materials from wood to crystal, leather to silk, along with the seamless marriage of colour and matter is truly something to behold. Forming a delicate palette of reds, the house’s long-standing history is illuminated as one defined by colour.
To find out more about the new Hermès Siam Paragon store, or the Rouges Hermès Exhibition, visit hermes.com.
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